Harry George Russell

WWI Harry joined up under age 19/4/1915. Unfortunately, in September 1940 an incendiary bomb hit the War Office Records Store at Arnside Street, London, destroying ¾ of the records. Harry's service numbers can be followed to get details of his WWI service. His first service number being 1426, ties into a group of numbers for the 9th Battalion, Hampshire Regiment (Cyclists) Territorial Force. In September 1915 he is re numbered 4745, 4th Battalion Hampshire Regiment, Territorial Force. Most of the 4th Battalion were sent to reinforce Mespot/Mesopotamia in December 1915 fighting the Turkish for the oil supplies needed by the Royal Navy. In early 1917 he was renumbered again to 202238 again of the 4th Battalion Hampshire's. He was transferred to the Machine Gun Corp 15/8/17 being numbered 114675. Where he was serving at this time is unknow. He was discharged 29/8/1919 due to sickness, cause not stated. During his service he had received a gunshot wound to the back of his head, just behind his left ear.

WWII Enlisted in Derby 29/12/1939, address as living at 1 Carrington Street, Derby. He failed to declare his previous service in the Army and injury, trade on enlistment, cook in a hotel. 31/4/1940 posted to the 105 Bridging Company, RASC, 2nd London Division, Territorial Army as a Private. 6/3/1940 admitted City Hospital, Nottingham, during his driver training course at Sutton in Ashfield, discharged from hospital 22/4/1940. Admitted Bartrum Gables, Broadstairs 5/5/1940, discharged 11/5/1940, readmitted 17/5/1940 and discharged 25/5/1940. 6/6/1940 posted HQ 2nd London Division. 5/8/1940 posted as Driver 2nd London Division. Died aged 41 from heart failure at 06.30 at the Scout Hall, Sun Lane, Kington, Herefordshire. Buried at Newark 16/9/1940.

After WWI he seems to have led a transient lifestyle, working as a cook in hotels and on ships. His father died aged 50 in 1921. Harry appears in the Police Gazette as a habitual criminal in 1921 as wanted for larceny and fraud at Southampton, Bath, Weymouth, Stroud and Lydney under several aliases. Arrested and remanded at Swansea in October 1922, listed as a ship's cook. He appears several more times in the Police Gazette up to 1927 for fraud, larceny and theft. Last appearance in court was April 1940 for speeding in a car on St John's Road, Sevenoaks and find £1. During his service, Lily had moved from Derby to Nottingham and had lived at Dryden Street and a Terrace off Storer Street amongst others. When Lily's dependant's allowance of 24 shillings was paid 15/12/1940, she was living in Newark at 59 Beech Avenue; this is presumably why Harry was buried in Newark Cemetery.